What year did a British Monarch appear on the most nation's coins?

Vermonter · December 25, 2006 6:42AM

And what countries were they?

coinkat · December 25, 2006 9:29AM

My guess- George V in 1935 or 1936- the countries? Next question please...

kuhli · December 25, 2006 10:00AM

I would guess that the distinction would belong to Elizabeth II, probably either 1972 or 1973. Although the British Empire may have been much larger earlier than this, it was at this time that the majority of Commonwealth nations (via Franklin Mint) began to issue it's own currency.

Aethelred · December 25, 2006 12:49PM

I was going to guess it was during teh reign of Victoria, but I may be way off.

spoon · December 25, 2006 2:51PM

It's definitely Elizabeth II. Problem is, a lot of the territories didn't mint coinage every year and a lot are NCLT. So finding that one year where they all converge is going to take some quality time with a Krause.

If you're going for a portrait type set, I'd recommend just picking one you like rather than the one that has the most. Most ain't necessarily best! Or just forget the year altogether and do a colonial/Commonwealth type set. I'm partial to the colonial issues of George V

lordmarcovan · December 25, 2006 7:32PM

I'd've guessed Victoria, too, but now that Eric just mentioned it, I would not be surprised at all to find it was QE2.

shirohniichan · December 26, 2006 3:46AM

I'm partial to the colonial issues of George V.

Yea, verily and amen!

koincollect · December 26, 2006 4:11AM

<< <i>I'm partial to the colonial issues of George V.

Yea, verily and amen! >>

Going to say the same thing! One of the most regal looking busts IMO!

BTW I think QEII might be gracing the largest number of countries. She should even have the most type effigies-- this might be easier than counting the countries, someone care to count?

spoon · December 26, 2006 5:30AM

OK, I'm bored, I'll bite.

Restricting the count to portrait coinage only. Also, my Krause only goes to 1993, so the list only goes that far as well.

I'm gonna use some shorthand so here's my key:

* only NCLT was minted for these territories
~ between dates indicates coins weren't minted every year in the span
-/~ (open date) means coinage was minted until the regent's final year

=== Victoria 1937-1901 ===

Australia - 1855- (gold only)
British Honduras - 1885~1901
Canada
Cyprus - 1879~
East Africa Protectorate - 1897-99
Gibraltar - 1841~61
GB

=== Edward VII 1901-10 ===

Australia - 1910 (1902- in gold)
British Honduras - 1904~09
Canada
Cyprus - 1902~08
East Africa & Uganda Protectorate - 1906~10
GB

=== George V 1910-36 ===

Australia - 1911-
British Honduras - 1911~
British West Africa - 1913~
Canada
Cyprus - 1913~34
East Africa - 1911~25
Fiji - 1934-36
GB

=== George VI 1936-52 ===

Australia - 1937-
British Honduras - 1937~
British West Africa - 1938~
Canada
Cyprus - 1938~49
East Africa - 1937~
Fiji - 37~
GB

=== Elizabeth II 1952- ===

Alderney * - 1989-90
Antigua & Barbuda * - 1985
Australia - 1953-
Bahamas - 1966~73 (*+)
Barbados * - 1985
British Honduras - 1954~73
Belize - 1973~89?
Bermuda - 1959~
British Virgin Islands - 1973~
British West Africa - 1957
Canada
Cayman Islands - 1972~
Cook Islands - 1972~
Cyprus - 1955-57
Dominica * - 78~
East Africa - 1954~63
East Caribbean Terr. - 1955~
Falkland Islands - 1974~
Fiji - 55~
Gambia - 1966~70
Gibraltar - 67~
GB

I'm giving up. Lizzie looks set to claim the most territories. But, again, the problem is finding a year each of these places cranked out coins at the same time. There are dozens of Royal Visits and other hokey events commemorated with Her Royal Majesty's mug on them... but most of those are just plain awful.

Vermonter · December 27, 2006 12:43PM

Hmm... Interesting, I woudn't have guessed Elizabeth II...

Surprised India isn't on any of the lists, wasn't it part of the empire for a long time? Did they just never replace the Rupee?

Sapyx · December 27, 2006 7:02PM

Nah, spoon just gave up on his alphabetical list when he hit "G".

My guess, just from intuitive reading of the Krause, would be 1972 or 1973, simply because of the large number of "countries" the Franklin Mint signed up to issue their first coins in those years. I think this would far outweigh the "old colonies" in Asia and Africa dropping the monarch from the coins in the 40's to 60's. There was another wave in the Pacific in the early 80's, so that might be another option. I'll see if I can come up with a quantitative list. Please stand by...

Edit: Just thought of another option: 1977, when a whole bunch of places made those 25 pence coins for the silver jubilee of her reign.

Sapyx · December 27, 2006 9:00PM

Ok, here's my probably-far-from-exhaustive list of my candidate dates: 1972, 1973, 1977 and 1981. If you find additions or corrections, please feel free to copy, paste and amend.

1972
Australia
Bahama Islands
Bermuda
British Honduras
Canada
Cayman Islands
Cook Islands
Gibraltar
Great Britain
Hong Kong
Isle of Man
Jersey
New Zealand
Seychelles
total: 14

1973
to the above list:
ADD British Virgin Islands, Fiji, Saint Helena
NOT Gibraltar, Jersey
total: 15

1977
Australia
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands
Canada
Cayman Islands
Cook Islands
Fiji
Gibraltar
Great Britain
Guernsey
Hong Kong
Isle of Man
Jersey
Mauritius
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Saint Helena
Solomon Islands
Tristan da Cunha
Turks & Caicos Islands
Western Samoa (she's not even Queen there!)
total: 21

1981
Ascension Island
Australia
Belize
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands
Canada
Cayman Islands
Cook Islands
East Caribbean States
Falkland Islands
Fiji
Gibraltar
Great Britain
Hong Kong
Isle of Man
Jersey
Mauritius
New Zealand
Saint Helena
Solomon Islands
Tristan da Cunha
Turks & Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
total: 23

So 1981 is my top year so far, with 23 countries. Predictable, given Royal Wedding hype of the day. Still, it doesn't sound like much, after all. Maybe there's a year in Victoria when the older colonies did outnumber this - particularly when all them li'l Canadian colonies were making their own coins... and if you throw in the Indian States portraits... Hmmm...

shirohniichan · December 28, 2006 4:45AM

Here are the countries I have in my George V set so far:

=== George V 1910-36 ===

Australia - 1911-
British Honduras - 1911~
British West Africa - 1913~
Canada
Ceylon
Cyprus - 1913~34
East Africa - 1911~25
Fiji - 1934-36
GB
Hong Kong
India
Newfoundland
New Guinea (no portrait)
Mauritius
New Zealand
South Africa
Southern Rhodesia
Straits Settlements

What year did a British Monarch appear on the most nation's coins?

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